The Kirkus Prize is one of the richest literary awards in the world, with a prize of $50,000 bestowed annually to authors of fiction, nonfiction and young readers’ literature. It was created to celebrate the 81 years of discerning, thoughtful criticism Kirkus Reviews has contributed to both the publishing industry and readers at large. Books that earned the Kirkus Star with publication dates between November 1, 2015, and October 31, 2016 (see FAQ for exceptions), are automatically nominated for the 2016 Kirkus Prize, and the winners will be selected on November 3, 2016, by an esteemed panel composed of nationally respected writers and highly regarded booksellers, librarians and Kirkus critics.

"Whether some adults will find this morally unregenerative, still it's a thoroughly realistic story with lost of very funny scenes and commentaries, and it features one of the hardest to handle, easiest to like heroines in a long time. Illustrations by the author not seen."

Harriet is an 11-year-old snub-nosed gamin with an elephant child curiosity and, let's face it, a noticing eye that runs to nastiness.
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"A deep knowledge of cat lore and legend, feline psychology and behavior aims this toward a cat-loving audience, while its message of loneliness and love will find a reception among those who have a feeling for sentiment. (Fantasy. 8-12)"

The story of Peter, 8, who in delirium after an accident, lived the life of a cat, offers a challenge to the storyteller's art—a challenge which is met with a certain amount of success.
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Bestseller Kendare Blake’s latest novel, Three Dark Crowns, a dark and inventive fantasy about three sisters who must fight to the death to become queen. In every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born: three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions. But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. The last queen standing gets the crown. “Gorgeous and bloody, tender and violent, elegant, precise, and passionate; above all, completely addicting,” our reviewer writes in a starred review.
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FEATURED CHILDREN'S AUTHOR

The Best Middle-Grade Books of 2016: Trusting Kids with the Tough Stuff

The best middle-grade books through time are those that trust their young readers with big stuff. Think of Charlotte’s Web, which trusted readers with the simple brutality of life on a farm, or M.C. Higgins the Great ...

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